Riff Tone

The Show Must Go On

Queen

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarBrian May Red Special (original, homemade)

AmpVox AC30/6 (mid-1960s, Normal channel, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers)

PickupsBurns Tri-Sonic single-coils (series wiring, phase switches)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble7.5

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas-Arbiter Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster (or equivalent clone)

chorusTC Electronic TC Electronic SCF Stereo Chorus Flanger

Notes

Studio recording, 1990/1991. Brian May almost exclusively used his original Red Special and Vox AC30 for Queen studio tracks in this era. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this song's riff section.

Tone Character(9)

midrange-forward British crunchharmonically rich and sustainingtight and articulate rhythm attackslightly compressed, singing sustainclear note separation in chordspercussive, dynamic picking responsechimey top end from AC30not overly saturated, retains clarityclassic Queen layered guitar sound

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, articulate rhythm playing with dynamic picking and clean chord voicings, but does not involve advanced lead techniques or extreme speed.

Sources

Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps | Equipboard Brian May’s guitar gear: how to sound like the iconic Queen guitarist | Guitar World The Secrets Behind Brian May's Guitar Sound on Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down" | Guitar World

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